rayaCaptain Jose L Raya started his career with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office on June 01, 2004.  He was assigned as a detective in the Criminal Investigative Division on December 17, 2007.  He was promoted to the rank of detective corporal on January 01, 2013 and then promoted to detective sergeant on September 01, 2013.   He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on June 01, 2016. In January 2021, he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant. In March 2023, he was promoted to the rank of Captain.

Captain Raya is the Bureau Commander for the Investigations Bureau.  He oversees the Criminal Investigative Division, Narcotics Investigative Division, Crime Scene/Evidence,  and the Sheriff’s Office Victims Advocacy Program .

Captain Raya has over 1,700 hours of specialized training.  This training includes Law Enforcement Academy, Homicide and Crime Scene Management, Speed Measurement, Investigative Interview, Basic and Advanced Fingerprint Comparison, Kinesics Interviews, Injury and Death, Internal Affairs Investigations, Advanced Cell Phone Investigations, Basic SWAT School, Crimes against Children, Sex Crimes, Criminal Law, Case Preparation and Court Presentation, FBI LEEDA Trilogy training and over one hundred other specialized classes.

Captain Raya is an Army National Guard Veteran and served one tour in Iraq.  Captain Raya is the team leader of the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office SWAT (Specialized Weapons and Tactics) team, a member of the Dive Team, a graduate of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations) National Academy Session 269 which is a ten week training program geared towards leadership and health training through the FBI, and a graduate of the commanders academy.

Contact information:
Captain Jose Raya
jraya@desotosheriff.org
DeSoto County Sheriff's Office
208 East Cypress Street
Arcadia Florida 34266
863-993-4700 Ext. 2248